Recoverable boat anchor

ABSTRACT

A tubular boat anchor with inner and outer shank portions, one of which portions has multiple flukes thereon. The anchor portions may be rotated relative to each other so as to normally free the boat anchor, one shank portion of which has a slot formed therein, which slot may be inclined or spiral with an interengaging pin passing through the slot and being secured to the other of the shank portions. Provision is made for the interengaging pin to be a shear pin, which is circumferentially scored at the point of shear, to pass through the slot, which pin will shear upon predetermined impact, to enable recovery of the anchor line and one of the shank portions of the anchor.

United States Patent l,544,l2l 6/l925 Allen 2,748,74l 6/1956 AbbottABSTRACT: A tubular boat anchor with inner and outer shank portions, oneof which portions has multiple flukes thereon. The anchor portions maybe rotated relative to each other so as to normally free the boatanchor, one shank portion of which has a slot formed therein, which slotmay be inclined or spiral with an interengaging pin passing through theslot and being secured to the other of the shank portions. Provision ismade for the interengaging pin to be a shear pin, which iscircumferentially scored at the point of shear, to pass through theslot, which pin will shear upon predetermined impact, to enable recoveryof the anchor line and one of the shank portions of the anchor.

PATENTEDuEc 7|B7l 3.625175 FIG. 20 .8

. INVENTOR. LAVERNE E. MANGEL HIS AGENT RECOVERABLE BOAT ANCHORBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements inboat anchors and more particularly to boat anchors for relatively smallcraft.

Various boat anchors have been proposed heretofore, but these, for themost part, were so constructed that, if an anchor became engaged, itcould not be readily dislodged by a straight pull on the anchor line,which situation usually means that the anchor line has to be cut, withthe resultant loss of the anchor line and the anchor.

PRIOR ART No. 294.813 Schmeelk Mar. 1 l, 1884 No. 2,729,190 SimshauserNov. I955 No. 2,863,4l Schofield Dec. 9, I959 No. 3,285,218 Gilbertsonet al. Nov. IS, 1966 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present boat anchorprovides two different approaches to loosening an anchor which hasbecome fastened and which normally does not yield to a straight pull onthe anchor line. First, provision is made whereby, upon application of astraight pull on the anchor line, force will be transmitted to theanchor to cause a relative twisting action between the component partsof the anchor, that is, upon pulling or jerking the anchor line, atransverse pin, which connects the two anchor portions in slidablerelation will travel up an inclined spiral slot, which will cause theboat anchor, which is engaged with an obstacle, to tend to rotate,which, in most instances, will free the anchor. Second, if the completeanchor should fail to disengage, upon the aforementioned pulls or jerksbeing accorded the line, a quick jerk on the anchor line, greater thanthe normal pull, will cause the inner portion of the anchor to impactagainst the transverse pin, which is positioned within a slot, whichwill cause the transverse pin, which is notched with circumferentialgrooves, to shear. This action will enable the inner portion of theanchor and the anchor line to be retrieved, thereby several dollarsworth of material can be salvaged, which would otherwise be lost, shouldit have become necessary to cut the anchor line, to allow the boat toproceed.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide arelatively lightweight boat anchor, whereby the anchor may normally bedisengaged from an obstruction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tubular anchor havingflukes on the outer shank portion, and having an inner tubular shankportion which is slidable relative to the outer shank portion, with aslot and pin connection between the shank portions to limit thelongitudinal movement therebetween, to enable a jarring action to beimparted to the shank portion having the flukes thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in an anchor,relatively movable, elongated shank portions, with at least one of theshank portions being tubular and having an angulated, spirallike slotformed therein, with a transverse pin passing through the shank portionsand through the slot to enable the arcuate movement of the shank portionof the anchor which has the flukes thereon, when a pull is accorded theanchor line.

A further object of the invention is to provide anchor body portionswhich are movable longitudinally relative to each other, one of whichbody portions has longitudinal slots formed therein, which slots have atransverse pin passing therethrough to connect the shank portions forrelative longitudinal movement, with the pin being of shear strength toallow the pin to be sheared by a jerk on the anchor line, which jerkexerts greater force than the normal pull thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING With these objects in mind and otherswhich will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawing in which like reference charactersdesignate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the outer. tubular shankportion of the anchor, showing the inner shank portion therein inelevation, with inclined, spiral slots formed in the inner shankportion, and showing a transverse pin extending therethrough, alternatepositions being shown in dashed outline;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the boat anchor, taken at a rightangle to FIG. 1, with parts being broken away and shown in section, tobring out the details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the anchor;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG 2, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows, with parts broken away to bringout the details of construction; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shear pin which is adapted to passthrough the inner and outer tubular shank portions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With more detailed reference tothe drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally a tubular anchor havingan outer shank portion 2 and an inner shank portion 4. The outer shankportion 2 is shown to have circumferentially spaced flukes 6 near thelower end thereof, as will best be seen in FIG 3. In the presentinstance four flukes are shown to be secured thereto, as by welding, asindicated at 8. The outer shank portion 2 has axially aligned holes 10formed therein for the passage of a shear pin 12 therethrough.

The shear pin 12 passes through slots 14 which are formed in the innershank portion 4 on opposite sides thereof, which slots are oppositelyinclined, preferably in the form of a spiral. The shear pins 12 slidewithin the spiral slots to permit relative rotary movement between theouter tubular shank portion and the inner tubular shank portion 4 asufficient distance to move the outer and inner body portions 2 and 4relative to each other arcuately for or more. The slots 14 arepreferably of such length that one of the tubular portions may be movedrelative to the other tubular portion by a jerk on the anchor line orrope 18, which rope is shown to be secured to a pin 20. The pin 20passes transversely through upstanding, apertured ears 22 on the upperpart of the inner shank portion 4.

A normal jerk or pull on the anchor line 18 will cause pin 12 to movewithin the slots 14 to normally rotate the outer shank portion 2, havingthe flukes 6 thereon, for at least a quarter turn, which will usuallyfree the flukes of the anchor from an obstruction; however, ifsuccessive pulls or jerks on the anchor line do not dislodge the anchorflukes 6 from an obstruction, in which they have become engaged, a pullor jerk, greater than normal, is exerted on the rope or boat anchor line18, which will cause the inner tubular shank portion 4 to move upwardalong the slots 14, thereby the lower end of the slots will engage withthe transverse pin 12 with sufficient impact force to cause a shearingaction on the pin 12 at the circumferential grooves 24, formed therein.This shearing action will enable the inner tubular shank portion 4 andline 18 to be removed, thereby obviating the necessity for cutting theline. It is preferable to have the grooves 24 of sufficient depth toenable the pin 12 to shear upon a pull greater than is exerted by theboat being anchored, but to shear at a lesser pull than the pullrequired to break the rope or line 18.

An extra shank portion 2, having flukes 6 thereon, may be carried in theboat, which, with another shear pin 12, may be slipped into place andthe ends thereof peened and riveted, as indicated at 26, to provide ananchor for ready use, thereby obviating the risk of being in open waterwithout an anchor.

While the invention has been described in some detail as being tubular,with the inner portion having slots formed therein, it is to beunderstood that the flukes may be on the inner portion, below the outertubular portion and that the slots may either by inclined or straight.The slots may be in the outer portion, with the pin 12 being securedagainst longitudinal movement within a hole in the inner portion of theanchor, and with the bail portion or pin being affixed to the outershell, so when the anchor is removed, as by shearing pin 12, the outershell will be removed, leaving the inner shell and flukes within thewater.

While the drawing has indicated the anchor body as being round, it is tobe understood that the tubular portion may be rectangular in shape, ifso desired.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention what is claimed asnew and desired to be secured by Letters Patent 15:

l. A boat anchor comprising:

a. an outer tubular member;

b. an inner tubular member within said outer member and being relativelyslidable;

c. said inner tubular member having at least two spiral longitudinalslots formed therein on opposite sides;

d. a pin passing transversely through the outer tubular member andthrough the slots in the inner tubular member and movable spirallyrelative to said inner member to permit relative arcuate movementbetween said members and to limit the relative sliding movement betweensaid members;

a plurality of flukes on one of said members near the lower end thereof;and

. a line receiving means secured to the other of said members near theupper end thereof.

. A boat anchor as defined in claim 1; wherein said slots in said innertubular member are spirally arranged to permit relative arcuate movementbetween said members of at least A boat anchor as defined in claim 1;wherein A boat anchor as defined in claim 3; wherein said shear pin iscircumferentially grooved at the points of shear between said outertubular member and said inner tubular member.

1. A boat anchor comprising: a. an outer tubular member; b. an innertubular member within said outer member and being relatively slidable;c. said inner tubular member having at least two spiral longitudinalslots formed therein on opposite sides; d. a pin passing transverselythrough the outer tubular member and through the slots in the innertubular member and movable spirally relative to said inner member topermit relative arcuate movement between said members and to limit therelative sliding movement between said members; e. a plurality of flukeson one of said members near the lower end thereof; and f. a linereceiving means secured to the other of said members near the upper endthereof.
 2. A boat anchor as defined in claim 1; wherein a. said slotsin said inner tubular member are spirally arranged to permit relativearcuate movement between said members of at least 90*.
 3. A boat anchoras defined in claim 1; wherein a. said pin passing transversely throughsaid tubular member is a shear pin, which pin is adapted to shear whenan impact force is exerted thereon greater than the greatest forceexerted by the pull of the boat.
 4. A boat anchor as defined in claim 3;wherein a. said shear pin is grooved at the shear points between saidouter tubular member and said inner tubular member.
 5. A boat anchor asdefined in claim 3; wherein a. said shear pin is circumferentiallygrooved at the points of shear between said outer tubular member andsaid inner tubular member.